I am a third year BA Social Work student on placement in a Local Authority.

I met Samir about 6 months ago at a party and it is now 4 months since we have started a relationship. We have had some differences, but, we have come to care for each other a lot and therefore, are able to overcome those differences.

However, last week I accidentally discovered that Samir’s son is subject of a child protection plan under the category of parental neglect in the same local authority where I am on placement.

Samir lives in a different local authority and has divorced his wife about 15 months ago. He had told me that he had a son but, had divorced his wife and had not seen his son after the divorce.

I spoke with Samir about this and he said that the domestic violence allegations were “A pack of lies made up by his ex-wife” and that his wife had made his son hate him and that is the reason he never attempted to see his son after the divorce.

Now I am confused and don’t know what to do. I care a lot about Samir and would like to be able to continue my relationship with him. However, I am worried that my relationship might be violating Social Workers’ code of conduct. I am also familiar with the cycle of domestic violence and therefore, am concerned about the previous DV allegations, although they were subsequently withdrawn.

Can you please help me understand if I am violating Social Workers’ code of conduct by continuing my relationship with Samir?

and do I really have to break my relationship with Samir?

What is the best solution and the best way forward?

Please note this is not a real-life scenario and as mentioned in the title it is a case study and part of our Case Study Series.

Join us on Sunda, 18 March, at 6:00 PM GMT / 2:00 PM EDT to discuss the above case study and Professional Code of Conduct and Boundary Dilemma @SWSCmedia.

Discussion

There is a conflict of interest that’s for certian. How did you accidentally come across the info? The main question you have to ask yourself is does the relationship clash with your own values , do you believe he was a perpetrator of DV, how much does he know about the protection plan? If that was my son I would take him out of the situation.. But There’s nothing to say your breaking any codes of practice unless your directly involved in the case as a professional, which by the sounds of it your not. There is a conflict of interest that’s for certian. How did you accidentally come across the info? The main question you have to ask yourself is does the relationship clash with your own values , do you believe he was a perpetrator of DV, how much does he know about the protection plan? If that was my son I would take him out of the situation.. But There’s nothing to say your breaking any codes of practice unless your directly involved in the case as a professional, which by the sounds of it your not. But in all honesty I don’t think it’s the appropriate forum to discuss this issue.